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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: club · bass · wax · ground · foot · rule · season · face

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. foot — a measure
  3. ground — the earth
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — to grow
  7. season — of the year
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — a position
  11. rule — government
  12. bass — low music
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — part of the head
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. face — to confront
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. rule — a law
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for dancing
  23. bass — the fish
  24. club — for golf

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com